The Legend of Zelda: Lord of Shadows
by Proteus-92
Summary: Ganondorf has finally been slain. The Triforce of Power has been shattered, its pieces scattered across Hyrule, never to be misused. But when a new evil emerges, seeking the fragments, the new bearer of the Triforce of Courage must awaken to stop him...
1. Prologue: The Hero of Twilight

**Prologue: The Hero of Twilight**

Many tales are told about this land- the kingdom of Hyrule. This land was once a beautiful and prosperous place, its people living in the forests, valleys, and mountains, and by the rivers, lakes, and seas. It's said that Hyrule had been created by three golden goddesses, who shaped the land, created its laws, and populated it with all forms of life. When the goddesses returned to the heavens, they left behind a relic of incredible power at the point where they first set foot in the world- the Triforce; the place where the Triforce resided became known as the Sacred Realm. Before their departure, the goddesses tasked the royal family of Hyrule with guarding its entrance, and subsequently, the Triforce. And so for untold ages, the royal family guarded the entrance to the Sacred Realm, and the kingdom of Hyrule prospered.

But soon, dark clouds began to descend on the kingdom. A dark man from the desert revealed himself at the head of these dark clouds- the dark man's name was Ganondorf, and he sought to gain dominion over Hyrule. Long ago, Ganondorf had entered the Sacred Realm, seeking to acquire the Triforce- however, when he reached to touch it, the Triforce split into three parts, leaving him only with the Triforce of Power, the element in which he most strongly believed. Ganondorf subsequently left the Sacred Realm and invaded Hyrule, seeking to claim the other two pieces of the Triforce. With his evil army and powerful magic, he wreaked havoc across the kingdom, and captured Zelda, princess of Hyrule and bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.

With Princess Zelda captured, all hope seemed to be lost.

But then, as if from nowhere, a young man garbed in a green tunic and cap, wielding the blade of evil's bane, emerged to oppose Ganondorf. Ganondorf soon learned that this young man was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, the last piece of the Triforce he sought, and sent his dark forces to slay the boy and claim the last Triforce piece. But with the blade of evil's bane, the young man carved a path through Ganondorf's evil army, eventually reaching the Dark Lord himself. Ganondorf used his powerful magic in the battle against the young man, even transforming himself into a powerful beast, but the young man still struck him down. Then, just as soon as he appeared, the young man vanished. The young man became known as the Hero of Time, and his heroic deeds were recorded in the annals of legend.

However, Ganondorf had not truly been killed in the battle; he had been protected from death by the fragment of the Triforce he wielded, and managed to escape. He would return time and again to Hyrule through various means, and in various forms, intending to resume his dark designs. But each time he revealed himself, a new Hero garbed in green emerged to oppose, and ultimately defeat him. Although these Heroes were separated by the passage of time, they all shared three traits:

First, each had been chosen by the gods to bear the Triforce of Courage.

Second, each wielded the blade of evil's bane, the Master Sword.

And finally, each Hero bore the same name- Link.

Soon, Ganondorf returned once again to Hyrule, bringing with him dark clouds that spread across the land. These clouds of twilight transformed the kingdom into a dark and hostile place, filled with monsters; separated from the light, the citizens of Hyrule became as spirits wandering the land. But when all seemed lost, the Hero, Link, emerged once again, driving back the clouds of twilight. Finally, when the dark clouds had been banished, Link confronted Ganondorf, and the two did battle once more. At its end, Link thrust the Master Sword into Ganondorf's chest- at that moment, the goddesses who empowered each piece of the Triforce separated Ganondorf from the piece of the Triforce he had stolen. Cut off from the energies that had sustained him for so long, Ganondorf succumbed to his wounds, and died.

Ganondorf, at long last, had been slain.

When Ganondorf died, his body faded, leaving behind the fragment of the Triforce he had stolen from the Sacred Realm so long ago. Link and Princess Zelda realized that so long as the Triforce of Power remained whole, Ganondorf would inevitably return, seeking to reclaim it- so, they and the five surviving Sages combined their strength and shattered the Triforce of Power into nine separate pieces. The fragments of the Triforce of Power were then hidden across the kingdom, so that none would be able to misuse its power ever again. With their task complete, Link departed for lands beyond Hyrule's border; Zelda remained behind as the newly crowned Queen of Hyrule, and led the land into an unprecedented golden age of peace and prosperity.

Many years have passed since the Triforce of Power was broken, and its shards scattered across Hyrule.

In all that time, Ganondorf has never returned.

**The Legend of Zelda: Lord of Shadows**

**By: Proteus-92**


	2. Chapter I: Rendezvous

**Chapter I: Rendezvous**

The young man paced back and forth impatiently by the wall in the back alley. The time had come for the rendezvous, but still there was no sign of the other. The two had agreed to meet here for one simple reason- this part of Castle Town was always completely deserted. If anyone happened to see a young man scaling the wall of Hyrule Castle, word would spread across the city like wildfire, and inevitably reach the ears of the Royal Guard- from there, they would soon identify the young man, and he would find himself in a jail cell… or worse.

A movement at the edge of his vision caught the young man's attention. He looked, to see a rope by the wall, swaying slightly in the wind. He looked at the rope, following it all the way to the top of the wall with his eyes. At its very end, at the top of the wall, he could see a black figure waving down at him. He waved back, a smile on his face- she was finally here. The young man grabbed the rope and gave it a tug- it was secure. So, he gripped the rope tightly, put his foot on the wall, and quickly began to climb up the wall, step by step.

After a minute or two, he reached the top. The figure extended a hand down to him; the young man took it gladly, and after a moment, the figure pulled him up and over the battlement of the wall. Now that he was standing safely on top of the wall, the young man took a good look at his helper- it was a girl, roughly his own age, with blonde hair and blue eyes much like his own, though her hair was far longer than his. She wore a light pink dress with no embellishments- it was simple, but far more elegant than the patchwork that made up his clothes. Immediately she threw her arms around him.

"It's so good to see you again, Link," Princess Zelda said. She then let go of him, bent down and began pulling the rope back up. "I'm sorry, I know I'm late. But you know how hard it is to climb up this wall." She crossed the path on the top of the wall, and took a few steps down a ladder at its edge. "A patrol will be coming this way soon. I don't think you want to be here when it shows up." She disappeared behind the edge of the wall. Link followed her, climbing down the ladder resting against the massive wall. It didn't take long for Link to reach the bottom of the ladder; once he had reached ground level, he stopped and looked at his surroundings.

The castle grounds were stunning, filled with vibrant green trees, shrubs, and grass. Everywhere, the blinding white marble walls were adorned with the crest of the royal family- an image of the Triforce, depicted above a stylized eagle- a perpetual reminder of the duty entrusted to the ruling family of Hyrule by the goddesses. In front of him, the turrets and spires of Hyrule Castle rose far above, seeming to touch the sky itself. Link would have been very impressed by the sights around him… had he not already been within the castle grounds several times before. Still, Link still could never quite believe that such healthy plants were growing right inside the walls of Castle Town.

"My father and his attendants are busy preparing for tomorrow, so we don't have to worry about anyone finding you," Zelda said as she reached into a nearby bush, withdrawing two sticks. "We're heading to Kakariko Village to renegotiate a treaty with the Gorons on Death Mountain. I would love for you to come with us- I'm sure I could slip away from my attendants for a few minutes to meet you. Here." Zelda tossed Link one of the sticks; he caught it, holding it in his left hand. "Link, have you heard any of the old legends? About how the princess was always abducted by Ganondorf, and how the Hero always had to save her? Well I'm not going to let myself get kidnapped, at least not without a fight." She pointed her own stick at Link, holding it in her left hand. "Now don't you dare hold back just because I'm a girl."

Zelda charged Link, swinging her stick in a wide horizontal swipe. Link parried the blow, and responded with a stab of his own. She avoided his stab, and swung at him again; again, he parried, and took a vertical swipe at the princess. She blocked the blow with her stick with ease. The two exchanged swings of their sticks for quite some time, neither able to gain the upper hand against the other. Then, Link made a powerful swing; when his stick struck Zelda's she let out a surprised yelp and dropped her stick. She fell to her knees at once, clutching her hand, her face hidden behind her hair, sobbing.

Link dropped his stick in shock, and moved to aid the injured princess. As he drew near, he realized something odd- as he approached, he caught a glimpse of Zelda's face in a gap in her hair, and saw that she was… smiling? Before he could react, Zelda rushed him, ramming into him with her shoulder; her surprise attack knocked him off balance, and flat on his back. Before he could rise, she pointed the stick right at the middle of his chest. He glared up at her as she pulled her stick back.

"Come on, don't look at me like that. Didn't you listen to a word I said?" Zelda asked, slinging her stick across her shoulder as Link got to his feet. "I told you not to go easy on me. What would have happened if I'd been an assassin and I used a ruse like that? You would be dead now, that's what would have happened." Link picked up his stick. "Well, no more tricks then. We'll make this a fair fight, Link. Are you ready?" He nodded- without another word, Zelda charged him again.

The two sparred several more times, both beating their partner an equal number of times. At the end of their last match, Zelda made one last powerful swing; Link attempted to block it, but the force of the impact knocked the stick right out of his hand. Zelda pointed the stick at his chest again. "And that's… one more for me…" Zelda said between breaths. She then dropped her stick and flopped down on the grass, staring up at the sky; Link joined her a moment later. "Well I… I think that's enough… for one day…" Zelda continued as the two looked up at the sky. The sky had turned from a bright blue to a deep orange color. "I'm starting to get better, Link. Don't you think so? I beat you six times- you only beat me five times." She sat up to look at him. "I hope you didn't lose to me on purpose, Link. You're supposed to be teaching me how to fight." Link shook his head. "Well good." She then stood up. Confused, Link stood up as well.

"Well, I have to go now, Link," Zelda said sadly. "It's getting late, and I'm sure my father is looking for me. The guards change their shifts at nightfall, as you know- you can get out of the castle then." She began to walk away, but then stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot! I have something for you." She returned to his side. "I know it isn't much, but I'm sure it's better than having to scrounge around in garbage looking for a meal." She reached into her dress and pushed something into Link's hand. "Please take it," she said, before running off. Link held up the thing Zelda had given him- it was a glass bottle, filled to the brim with soup. He smiled, thankful for the princess's thoughtfulness, before uncorking the bottle and taking a drink. It was delicious- though admittedly, compared to what he'd had to eat in the past, anything Zelda could have given him would have been an improvement.

He corked the bottle again and pocketed it, planning to save the rest of the soup for tomorrow's breakfast, and climbed up a nearby tree, obscuring him from anyone who might pass by. Though the sun was setting, the guards wouldn't be changing shifts for quite some time, so Link would have to find some way to pass the time. He reached up to his neck, untying a necklace hidden under his shirt, before holding it out in front of him. The necklace was made of a beautiful, crystal-clear jewel, which seemed to shine even in complete darkness, strung across a simple black string. The jewel sparkled in the light of the setting sun, shining in all the colors of the rainbow. The necklace was Link's most prized possession- a gift, given to him by Princess Zelda when they first met. It was funny, in a way- a street urchin like him, becoming friends with a princess. It was ridiculous, like something out of a fairy tale. But of course, Link hadn't known that Zelda was a princess when they first met- at the time, all he knew was that she was a girl who needed his help.

* * *

_Link stood up, stepping out of the pile of garbage, disappointed. The bakery almost always had perfectly good, if slightly old bread that had been thrown away the day before, but today there didn't seem to be any. He sighed- he would have to try looking outside the other bakery across town. He turned to leave the alley when he heard a crash and a terrified scream somewhere behind him. He turned back, just in time to see a small person in a dark brown, hooded cloak run past the alley's back entrance, chased by some dark shadow. Link hurried over to the back entrance, concerned- he knew that the alley behind the bakery ended in a dead end. He peered around the corner- he could see the person that ran by backed against the dead end, cornered by a large black dog._

"_Help!" the person cried out in terror, shrinking away from the dog. "Somebody please help me!" There was no doubt that the person was a girl; at this, Link ran to the dead end, putting himself between the girl and the dog. The dog growled at the sudden intruder, and stepped closer; Link held his ground, shielding the girl. The dog snarled and leapt at him, fangs bared; all Link could do was cross his arms in front of him, protecting himself as best as he could. The dog sank his teeth right into his left forearm; he let out a cry of pain, she a cry of terror. The dog tugged on his arm forcefully; Link pulled back, fighting the pain as best as he could, and with his free hand, punched every part of the dog he could reach. After several punches, he landed a lucky blow right on the dog's eye; the dog let out a pained yelp, releasing his arm, and fled down the alley._

_Link then turned back to the girl, still ignoring the pain in his arm. The girl then rose to her feet, visibly shaking. "Is it… is it gone?" she asked nervously. He nodded. At this, she threw her arms around him, holding tightly as she wept in pure terror into her shoulder. Her legs gave out, and the two of them fell to their knees. "Oh, thank you!" She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you!" She kissed his other cheek. "Thank you!" She kissed his forehead. Soon, Link found his entire face peppered with the girl's kisses, each preceded by a very grateful "Thank you." Finally, the girl stopped shaking. "You saved me," she said, getting back on her feet; Link stood as well. She pulled back her hood- the girl was very pretty, with golden hair and crystal blue eyes- and wiped away the tracks of tears under her eyes._

_The girl then noticed his arm. "You're bleeding!" she cried. She took his arm and pulled it towards her. "We have to do something to stop it." She held his arm for several moments, unsure of what to do next; just then, they heard a voice call out, "Zelda! Zelda, where are you! Princess Zelda!" Another person entered the alley, also wearing a dark brown cloak. She looked around for a few moments, quickly spotting the two. "There you are," she said, pulling back her hood as she approached- underneath was a woman with white hair and dark red eyes. The woman came to a stop in front of the two. "Princess, I've been looking everywhere for you; I'm glad you're alright. …Who is he?" The woman motioned to Link._

_ "Oh Impa, the most amazing thing happened just now! When we got separated, this big dog started chasing me, and then this boy… he protected me!"_

_ "He protected you, did he?" She glanced down at Link, and noticed the now rather considerable amount of blood trickling down his arm. "You're wounded," the woman said. "Let me see your arm." Link held out his arm as she asked; the woman took hold of it, and looked at it closely for several moments. "Your wound isn't nearly as bad as it looks," she said, "…but we still need to do something to stop the bleeding." Then without hesitating, the woman tore a long strip of fabric off of her cloak's sleeve, before tying it around Link's forearm. "This should help, but don't take it off for a few hours." She turned to Zelda. "I think you've had enough excitement for one day, Zelda. We should be going back to the castle now."_

_ "Wait," Zelda said. "I want to ask him something." She turned to Link. "Before we leave, can you please tell me your name?" Link told her. "…Link? Thank you, Link. I'll never forget what you did for me." She reached up to her neck, and removed a necklace that had been hidden under her cloak. It was a beautiful necklace- a sparkling, perfectly clear jewel strung on a black string. "I wish I could give you more, but this is all I have. Please take it." She handed it to him before he could protest._

"_Come on Zelda," the woman named Impa said. "We should go." She put her hand on Zelda's shoulder, and guided her down the alley, around a corner, and out of sight.

* * *

_

"I hope you weren't planning on falling asleep up there," a voice called out suddenly. Link jumped, losing his balance, and fell out of the tree. As he sat up, rubbing the place where his shoulder hit the ground, the voice continued, "I'm sorry if I surprised you, but you should be thankful. If anyone else found you up there, I'm sure you would be getting much more than just a friendly warning." The source of the voice emerged from the darkness- it was a woman, tall and strong with white hair and dark red eyes. Link relaxed once he saw who it was.

The woman standing before him was Impa- a member of the Sheikah tribe and Princess Zelda's personal attendant and bodyguard. "I take it that the Princess has told you she and her father will be traveling to Kakariko Village tomorrow…" Impa began, "…and I imagine she invited you to join her. Am I correct?" Link nodded. "…just as I thought." She paused for a moment. "I'm surprised, Link. I thought you would have left by now."

Link suddenly realized just how dark it had become, and began to hurry over to the ladder by the wall. "If you tried to leave the castle now, you would most certainly be discovered," Impa said, stopping him in his tracks. "It would be safer for you to remain inside the castle at this time. Please follow me." She began to walk across the castle grounds, toward the castle, Link following her. "The guard's shift changes at morning, so you will have to spend the night here. Don't worry though- the castle has numerous hidden passages and secret rooms. I'm certain nobody will mind if you spend a night in one of them." Impa slid into a small gap between the castle keep and one of its many spires; Link followed, emerging in a small courtyard a minute or so later. The courtyard appeared to be completely closed off- there were no windows in the surrounding buildings, and the only exits were the gap they came through, and a door leading into a small building to their left. Impa headed to the door and stepped inside.

The interior of the building was very dark. From what little Link could see, the inside was filled with numerous bunk beds in various states of decay, along with numerous empty weapon racks, also in various states of decay. "This building used to be part of the old guards' barracks. For now, you can stay here," Impa said as she lit a lantern hanging from one of the walls. In the light, Link could see the room was much smaller than he expected for a barracks, having only a dozen beds or so. "The royal convoy will be leaving early tomorrow morning. I'll be here to get you before then." She began to leave the barracks. "Good night Link."

She closed the door, leaving Link alone in the barracks. Link took the lantern hanging from the wall and checked the beds, looking for one that didn't look like it would collapse under his weight. He found one that appeared fairly intact and sat down on it; the bed groaned loudly, but held up under his weight. With little else to do, he picked up the lantern; just as he was about to blow it out, he realized he was still holding Zelda's necklace in his off hand. He tied the necklace securely around his neck once again, before blowing out the lantern and lying down to sleep.


	3. Chapter II: Confrontation

**Chapter II: Confrontation**

"Link… Link, wake up." Link snapped awake immediately upon hearing his name and sat up; standing near his bed was Impa, already waiting for him. "Good, you're awake. The sun will be rising soon- we need to hurry. I'll explain on the way." She began to leave the room, with Link following her into the darkness outside. As the two followed the path leaving the courtyard, Impa said, "There is a royal procession waiting by the main gate. At the end of the procession is a wagon carrying provisions for the guards- that's also where you'll be hiding during our trip. The guards have already finished loading it up, but they'll be preparing the rest of the convoy, so follow me and do exactly as I tell you."

The two made their way through the shadowed castle grounds. Soon enough, a glow began to emanate from just behind the outer wall of the castle keep- The two stayed close to the corner, peeking out cautiously. Around the corner, they could see a large gate in the wall, in front of which were a handful of horses, followed by a large carriage, and a large covered wagon bringing up the rear- presumably, this was the royal procession. Milling about the area were several guards, all holding torches to drive away the darkness. However, none had their attention focused in Link and Impa's direction; taking the opportunity, the two quickly moved to the rear of the wagon. "Here we are," Impa said. "There should be a space near the back that you can hide in. Once we leave however, we won't be arriving in Kakariko until the evening- if there is any business you need to take care of, you should do so now. Otherwise, climb inside."

Link wasn't entirely sure what Impa meant by "business," but since he didn't have anything he needed to do, he climbed into the wagon. The wagon was filled with numerous boxes, but there was enough space between them for him to squeeze through to the front. Sure enough, there was a space in the boxes near the front, perfectly sized for someone to hide in. Link sat down in the empty space; once he sat down, he noticed a space between the boxes that he could peer through. He looked, seeing the castle grounds through the gap. Impa then entered his vision. "Link?" Impa called to him. "Link, can you hear me? Well it looks like you found the hiding spot. Now listen- no matter what you hear outside the wagon, stay where you are. Once we arrive in Kakariko, I'll come get you." She paused for a moment. "I need to go." She disappeared from his view.

From somewhere outside the wagon, Link heard footsteps approaching; he looked, but whoever was approaching must have been around the side of the wagon. "My Lord! You're awake!" he heard someone say.

"Is the convoy ready to depart for Kakariko, Captain?" a deep voice asked.

"Of course, My Lord! We'll be ready to leave in just a few minutes." A few more footsteps approached, and Link heard a very tired Zelda yawn. "…Father?" she asked. "We're leaving already?"

"Yes Zelda. But don't worry- you can rest on the way there. Impa?"

"Yes My Lord. Come on, Zelda." Two sets of footsteps began walking away from the wagon, followed by a tired, confused-sounding "O-Okay…" The sound of hurried footsteps approached. "Captain, the convoy is ready. We'll move out once you give the command."

"Well, everything certainly seems to be under control. I'll leave everything in your hands, Captain." A heavy set of footsteps began moving away, followed by a very loud creak from behind Link. "You can give the word when you're ready Captain." Another loud creak and the sound of a carriage door closing followed.

The sound of numerous footsteps began moving away from the wagon. For a few moments there was silence; then, some distance away from the wagon, Link heard the Captain call out, "Open the gates!" There was a loud creaking sound as the great gates of Hyrule Castle were pushed open. Suddenly, the wagon lurched as it began to move forward. After a few moments, the roar of a crowd filled his ears. He peered through the gap- as the wagon passed through the gates, he could see innumerable people lining the street, held at bay by the Royal Guard. Link was surprised- from what little he could see, a very large crowd had gathered to see off the royal family, despite how early it was. But then again, it was a rare occurrence for the entire royal family to leave the castle- when word got out, everybody would gather in the streets, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Princess Zelda. Gradually, however, the cheers of the crowd faded into nothingness as they passed through the city's outer walls, leaving only the sound of the cart as it trundled down the path, presumably toward Kakariko Village.

Link knew very little about Kakariko Village- in fact, Link knew precious little information about the world outside of Castle Town's walls, with most of what he knew being learned from various rumors and snatches of overheard conversations. From what he could remember, Kakariko was a fairly large, prosperous village to the southeast of Castle Town- its most notable landmarks were its large windmill, numerous natural hot springs, and a nearby spring whose water was believed to have magical healing properties. Kakariko also had the dubious distinction of having the largest graveyard of any settlement in Hyrule. However, Kakariko Village was most well-known for its longstanding relationship with the Gorons, a proud, strong race who made their home in a nearby volcano, Death Mountain. Though it had been turbulent on occasion in the past, the relationship between Kakariko and the Gorons had been peaceful for the most part, bringing stone for building, metal ore, and valuable jewels to the rest of Hyrule.

Just then, one of the guards at the front of the wagon spoke. "Hey," he said.

"Yeah?" his companion asked.

"What do you think about this whole assignment?"

"I'm not sure just yet. Why are you asking?"

"I've never had an assignment outside of Castle Town before."

"Well, don't let what everyone else says fool you- it isn't _that_ exciting."

"Why not? Have you had an assignment outside of Castle Town?"

"I've had a few. The last time, we had to go formally recognize the ascension of Queen Rutela as the leader of the Zoras after King Mikau died a few years ago."

"How was that?"

"It was pretty boring. Not much happened, even though we were there for three days. I will admit though, that Queen Rutela was pretty easy on the eyes… you know, for a fish lady."

"Don't call the Zora fish- they hate that, you know."

"Ah, I'm sorry. But anyway, hopefully there won't be any trouble once we get to Kakariko Village."

"What are you so worried about? It's not like we have to worry about Ganon anymore."

"I know that. But, it's been such a long time since the last crisis… I just have a feeling that something bad's going to happen soon."

The day passed. Link watched as the white walls of Castle Town faded in the distance. He took a few drinks of his soup for breakfast, but tried to conserve as much as he could for the rest of the trip. The two guards at the front of the wagon spoke a few more times, but their conversations were brief, and the two kept their silence for most of the trip. Link watched as the sky gradually turned from orange, to blue, and back to orange again. By the time the sun had begun setting, the green fields and trees surrounding Castle Town had long since given way to the dark brown of a rocky canyon. Suddenly, the wagon lurched to a halt. He heard the guards climb down from the front of the wagon and walk away. Several minutes passed, but Impa did not call to him. Link was concerned- if Impa didn't come, the guards would most certainly discover him.

Before Link could decide what to do, Impa called out to him "Link? Link, are you awake? It's all clear right now." Link squeezed by the boxes again, and hopped out of the wagon. "Well, we've made it to Kakariko. You need to get away from the convoy. Go, go!" Link hurried away from the wagon. Once he thought he had gotten a safe distance away, Link stopped to look around.

Kakariko Village was certainly different from Castle Town. It was much smaller, with only a dozen or so buildings built along the canyon floor, and on various outcroppings of rock. Unlike most of the buildings of Castle Town, the buildings of Kakariko were made from wood rather than stone. At the end of the line of buildings at the far side of the canyon rested a pool of water, apparently the magical healing spring. High atop a wall of the canyon Link could see a windmill, spinning slowly in the wind. Not too far in the distance to the east, Link could see a mountain rising high above the canyon wall and the windmill, its summit surrounded by a ring of smoke- presumably, Death Mountain.

Link began to walk down the main road of the village, past the guards- none took any notice of them, or if they did, they found nothing suspicious about him. Night would be falling soon, and in a strange town far away from home, Link would have to find somewhere to stay. The average traveler would simply rent themselves a room at the local inn for the night- however, as a street urchin with no money, this option was out of the question for Link. So, Link would have to do what he always did- find a back alley to sleep in and hope nobody came across him. So, Link turned into one of the alleys lining the main street, and circled around to the back of what appeared to be a shop of some kind, looked for a soft of ground, and lay down. The ground was hard, but in comparison to the stone of Castle Town's alleys, it may well have been a feather mattress. The sun hadn't quite set just yet, but Link suddenly found himself exhausted from his trip; before long, he curled up on the ground, and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Link was awoken by the rays of the rising sun the next morning. He sat up, his back sore; clearly, sleeping on the cold hard ground every night wasn't doing him any favors. Link's stomach growled; he reached into his pocket, and pulled out his bottle of soup. He looked at it blearily- it was empty. Sighing, he pocketed the bottle, and thought hopefully that perhaps Zelda would have another bottle of soup for him. Speaking of Zelda…

Link then noticed a large crowd of people at the far end of the alley, standing at the edge of the street. He quickly made his way down the alley and pushed his way through the crowd, eliciting a few protests along the way. After a moment, Link made his way to the front of the crowd; there, in the street, he saw Zelda, Impa at her side, surrounded by the Royal Guard. She was waving to the crowd, wearing one of the fancy dresses, a look of discomfort on her face (Link remembered Zelda once admitted that she didn't like wearing any of her fancier dresses). He waved to her excitedly, trying to catch her attention. She spotted him; a wide smile broke across her face and she waved to him in return.

But suddenly, dark clouds appeared, seemingly out of thin air. Three great figures in black armor emerged from the clouds, swinging their massive swords, knocking back the guards surrounding Zelda. A fourth then emerged directly behind Zelda and Impa; the dark knight knocked Zelda's bodyguard back with a mighty fist and seized the princess, bringing his sword to her throat. The other three armored figures stood in defensive positions around their companion, all holding out their swords, a nonverbal warning telling the crowd to stay back.

Just then, another person approached- a young man, much smaller than the four armored figures, who didn't appear to be much older than Link or Zelda. Unlike the others, he wore no armor, only a black cloak. His hair was black, and skin pale, but most unusually, his eyes shone a bright, burning yellow that seemed to glow even in the sunlight. "If anyone comes any closer, the princess dies," he said to the crowd; several soldiers that had been approaching stopped in their tracks, some even taking a step back. The young man swept his eyes across the crowd silently before speaking again. "I know they're hidden here. I know that the rest of the shards of the Triforce of Power are hidden in this land… and I'm certain that somebody here knows their location. If anyone here has that information, I suggest that you speak up now."

An eternity seemed to pass, but all was silent. "I'm beginning to lose my patience. I am going to count to three- if nobody has divulged the information I'm looking for by then, I will kill the princess." He paused for just a moment. "One…" Silence. "_Two_…" There was a clanking as the armored figure holding Zelda brought his sword up to the princess's throat. She locked eyes with Link for just a moment; the terror in her eyes was all too familiar to him. Before he realized what he was doing, he broke away from the crowd, grabbed a sword dropped by a fallen guard, and stopped a few feet away from the young man, sword ready.

The armored figured holding Zelda pressed his sword against her neck, eliciting a terrified gasp from her; at the same time, another of the armored figures approached Link, drawing his sword back to strike. All action stopped, however, when the young man held out his hand. "Stay your blades," he said to his dark minions. "If this boy wants to be a hero, then I will let him be a hero." He reached down to his waist, and drew a sword at his belt, hidden under his cloak- it was an unusual blade, long and slender with only a single edge, and with no guard above the hilt. He then pointed his sword at Link. "This should be amusing."

Link waited momentarily, but the young man didn't move toward him. So, Link charged. The young man stood completely motionless as Link charged, raising his sword to strike; just as he reached the young man, swinging his sword down in a horizontal swing, the young man swung his sword at Link's, deflecting it away from him. Link's sword continued on its path, striking the ground. The young man raised his own sword, preparing to strike; Link quickly brought up his sword, blocking the young man's strike. Link drew back his sword and swung at the young man in a wide horizontal swipe; the young man leapt back, avoiding his swing. The young man stepped forward again, stabbing his sword at Link; Link deflected the stab in the nick of time, again swinging at the young man. The young man leapt back, but before he could prepare another strike, Link charged; the young man easily deflected the swing of his sword, sending Link running past the young man and nearly throwing him off balance. Only then, with his back turned to the young man, did Link realize just how serious a mistake he had made. The young man raised his sword to deliver a killing blow- in desperation, Link spun in a circle, his sword extended.

Link's sword made contact with the young man's- incredibly, it cleaved right through the blade of the other sword, sending the upper half sailing in the air. The tip of the young man's sword fell to the ground, disappearing in a puff of black smoke the moment it touched the ground. The young man looked at the broken edge of his sword, surprise visible on his face. He quickly hid his surprise, however, and said, "You certainly are full of surprises, aren't you?" The young man then sheathed his broken sword. "You might have won this battle, but don't let yourself become too complacent by this victory. We will meet again, and I promise you… you will rue the day you crossed paths with me." He turned his back on Link and spoke to his minions. "Release the princess," he ordered. "We're leaving." The armored figure holding Zelda released her; after that, all five of the invaders seemed to transform into black smoke that quickly faded away.

Suddenly, the royal guards began to scour the area, searching for the young man. Zelda hurried over to him, before Impa or any of the guards could stop him. "Link, Are you okay?" she asked. "You aren't hurt, are you?" A guard then approached the two; this guard was unusual, with pale golden armor and a winged helmet, unlike the others. "Princess, I need you to step away from him," he said. "We have to ask him a few questions."

"Captain, he just saved me," Zelda said. "I don't think he has anything to do with what happened."

"I know that, Princess. It's just a precaution. Now if you'll-" The guard suddenly stopped talking. "Princess…" he began, visibly shaken. "…your hand…"

The two looked down, suddenly aware of the fact that Zelda's left hand was glowing. She held it up- a golden glowing symbol was shining on the back of her hand. The symbol was obviously the Triforce- however, the top and lower right triangles glowed faintly, appearing as a dark brown color. Only the triangle in the lower left glowed a bright gold. Zelda noticed something, and said, "Link, your hand is glowing too." Link realized, and also held up his left hand- the same Triforce symbol shone on the back of his hand. However, unlike Zelda's, the lower right triangle shone a bright gold, with the other two triangles dark. When the two symbols were in close proximity, they shone even brighter, becoming painful to look at. "Link… what could this mean?" Zelda asked. Link was dumbfounded- he couldn't even hope to begin explaining what was happening.

"What's going on here?" an approaching voice asked. Link recognized it immediately- it was the same deep voice he had heard the morning before. He looked over at the source to see a large man approaching them. The man was huge, both in terms of height and in girth, wearing a long crimson robe and a golden crown on his head. There was little doubt- this man was Zelda's father, the King of Hyrule. Link then realized that someone else was following the king. It was a stout, bearded person wearing a simple loincloth, his skin a light brown and adorned with swirling white tattoos; most unusual of all though were a series of gray, stone-like ridges that extended partway down his arms and seemingly extending from the top of his head all the way down his back. This must have been one of the Gorons Link had been hearing about.

The king and the Goron stopped a few feet away from Link, Zelda, and the Captain. "Captain, what happened here?"

"My Lord! We… we were ambushed! This… sorcerer appeared and held the Princess hostage. The young man she is with saved her and drove back the sorcerer." The king turned from the Captain to Link and Zelda. "Is this true, Zelda?"

"Yes Father, this young man saved me. His name is Link. But Father… look at this." Zelda held up her left hand, showing the king the glowing symbol on its back. She then grabbed Link's left hand and showed him the symbol there as well. The king's eyes widened in shock, but only for a moment. "Captain," he said. "Prepare the convoy. We need to return to Castle Town immediately."

"My Lord?" The Captain asked.

"This is urgent. Prepare the convoy for departure immediately."

"Yes My Lord." The Captain hurried away. The king then turned to his Goron companion. "I must apologize, Chieftain Darmani, but negotiations will have to wait. I sense that darkness will be descending on our lands soon."

"I understand, Brother," Darmani replied. "If you require aid of any kind, do not hesitate to ask us."

"I will keep your offer in mind… Brother." He turned back to Link and Zelda. "Now then… Impa?" She was at the king's side at once. "Yes My Lord?"

"Take these two to the carriage. I will be joining you shortly."

"Yes My Lord. Come on now." Impa began to lead the two to the carriage when the king said, "Just a moment." The three stopped and turned back to the king. "Young man, your name is Link, correct?" Link nodded. "I see. Allow me to introduce my self- I am Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, the King of Hyrule." Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule then turned away. "You may go." Link and Zelda were then ushered to the carriage by Impa.


	4. Chapter III: Reawakening

**Chapter III: Reawakening**

The convoy returned to Castle Town that night. The four were almost completely silent on the way back; once, Zelda asked, "Father, what's happening? Why are we going back to the castle?" King Daphnes answered, "This isn't the place to discuss such things. Once we arrive at the castle, I will explain everything to you."

And so, the four rode back to Hyrule Castle, an almost unbearable silence settling between them. As time passed, the constant jostling of the carriage ceased as the convoy crossed the bridge leading into Castle Town. This time however, there would be no crowds to greet them- the populace wouldn't be expecting the Royal Family for another few days. Before long, a great creaking sounded as Hyrule Castle's outer gate opened, and the convoy came to a halt. At once, Daphnes climbed out of the carriage, the others following.

"Captain," he said as he approached the castle.

"Yes My Lord?" the Captain asked.

"I'm placing Castle Town at maximum security from this point forward- I want guards stationed at posts at all times. It's unlikely, but it's possible that this sorcerer, as you call him, may attempt to attack us directly again."

"Of course, My Lord." The Captain departed again, presumably to inform his men of the King's orders. Daphnes continued on his way, and the group soon entered the castle.

If the outside of Hyrule Castle was already stunning, its interior was indescribable- the main hall shone in the light of countless torches, its walls extending high above the group's heads. The hall was divided into two halves, divided by a short staircase that stretched from one wall to the other. Curiously, the near side of the hall was primarily dominated by a dark gray slab a few inches lower than the marble floor, with three large triangular stones in various positions on its surface. However, the centerpiece of the massive hall was a statue of the Triforce, surrounded by the three goddesses who created Hyrule, at the far side of the room.

"My Lord!" one of the guards called, surprised; at once, he and the other guards in the hall snapped to attention. "You've returned earlier than expected! Is everything alright?"

"The negotiations have been suspended due to an unexpected event," King Daphnes said. "I fear that dark times will be descending upon us soon- I need you to open the sanctuary."

"My Lord?" the guard asked.

"It is vitally important, guardsman. Open it."

Without any further questions, the guard signaled two others; at once the began pushing each of the stones towards the center of the slab. When they finished, the stones began to sink into the ground; they stopped when only an inch or two remained aboveground, revealing that the stones formed yet another image of the Triforce. A sudden sound of grinding stone, and Link saw that the statue at the far end of the room seemed to be moving back. Wordlessly, Daphnes crossed the room and climbed the stairs to the statue, the others following. Up close, Link could see that there was a staircase descending into a hole in the ground, the statue by its edge; presumably, the statue was supposed to keep the staircase hidden.

"Impa, please retrieve a sword and shield from the armory. Please don't hesitate to follow us once you return." Impa was gone instantly, without a sound. "Link, Zelda, please follow me." Daphnes descended the newly uncovered staircase; Link and Zelda did as they were asked and followed.

At the bottom of the stairs was yet another measure of security- an enormous round steel door. Wordlessly, King Daphnes reached up to a small lantern mounted on the wall and pulled it down a short ways. Incredibly, the steel door began to slide backwards into the wall, before rolling off to the side. The king then stepped inside, with Zelda and Link following. Much to Link's surprise, the sanctuary was nearly empty- the sole feature of the circular room was a small pedestal with a cover resting on top.

"Zelda, Link…" King Daphnes began as he approached the pedestal, "…have you heard the legend of the Hero of Twilight?"

"Of course, Father," Zelda replied. "But, I thought all those stories were made up. Just… _fables_."

"It's no fable." Daphnes lifted the cover off the pedestal; underneath, suspended in midair, was a small golden triangle that seemed to glow with an ancient, mystical power. "What you see before you is one of the nine fragments of the Triforce of Power. When the Hero of Twilight slayed Ganondorf, he and the Princess realized that as long as the Triforce of Power remained whole, Ganondorf would inevitably return to reclaim it and threaten the kingdom. So, they called the five surviving Sages to Hyrule Castle, and told them of their plan- to break the Triforce of Power, so that its powers could never be misused by anyone ever again. The Sages were horrified- they feared that by breaking apart a section of the Triforce, the artifact they had been entrusted to protect, the three goddesses would bring divine retribution upon them. But the Hero and the Princess insisted, and reluctantly, the Sages agreed- so the seven combined their strength, and shattered the Triforce of Power. Then, they waited.

"Days passed as they waited, then weeks- before long, several months had gone by. But the divine retribution the Sages feared never came. Believing that their decision was supported by the goddesses, the Hero and the Princess took eight of the Triforce shards, and scattered them across the land; the last piece they left here, protected in Hyrule Castle. When this was done, the two went their separate ways; the Sages faded away, to be reawakened the next time Hyrule was threatened. This is the history of how the Triforce of Power was shattered, as it has been told in the Royal Family for generations." Daphnes placed the cover over the floating Triforce fragment once again. "With the Triforce of Power broken, and its pieces safely hidden away, we believed that Ganondorf- or anyone intending to follow in his footsteps- would be unable to find and reassemble them." Daphnes sighed. "But then… _he_ appeared."

Daphnes began pacing around the sanctuary. "He calls himself _Den_. From where he came, we do not know, but he has made his objective abundantly clear to us- he intends to gather and reunite all nine fragments of the Triforce of Power. At present, Den has managed to obtain five of the fragments- but, even with only an incomplete part of the Triforce, you've seen firsthand just how powerful Den has become. If he manages to obtain the remaining fragments, there's no telling what may happen- it's possible that he'll set his sights on the other two parts of the Triforce."

Daphnes stopped and turned to the two. "That's where you two come in. The mark on the back of your hands is a sign- a sign that the goddesses who watch over Hyrule have entrusted you with a special task. That mark means that the goddesses have chosen you to bear the two remaining parts of the Triforce."

"R-Really?" Zelda asked. "I was chosen to bear a part of the Triforce?"

"Indeed- all the proof you need is right on the back of your hand. …Zelda, let me see the mark." Zelda held out her left hand, exposing the glowing mark to her father. He inspected the mark carefully for several moments. Finally, he said, "I see. Zelda, it seems that the goddesses have chosen you to bear the Triforce of Wisdom." He turned to Link. "I have a feeling about you… but I need to see your mark as well to be sure." Link showed him his mark; Daphnes looked over it momentarily before he said, "Just as I expected. It seems that you have been chosen to bear the Triforce of Courage, Link." He turned to the far side of the sanctuary, and began walking away from the two. "Come this way- there is something else I wish to show you." He took a small lantern hanging from the back wall, lit it, and then continued down a small tunnel that neither Link nor Zelda realized had been there. Cautiously, they followed the king.

At the end of the tunnel was a circular room, much like the main room but much smaller in size. Much like the sanctuary's main room, the smaller room contained only one item- a full sized dummy. However, it was not the dummy itself, but what it wore that instantly drew Link's attention. The dummy wore a short-sleeved, forest-green tunic- the tunic was well-worn, patched and stitched together in numerous places. In the numerous small gaps in the fabric, Link could see the glinting of a chainmail shirt underneath. Perched on the dummy's head was a pointed cap in the same forest-green color as the tunic; the cap also had numerous stitching, but not to the same extent as the tunic. Fastened around the dummy's belt was an old belt with a great many number of pouches. Completing the outfit were a pair of thick gloves and boots, both of faded, well-worn leather. It was an outfit unlike any Link had ever seen before… and yet, it seemed familiar to him.

"_This_ is the Royal Family's most valued treasure," Daphnes said. "These garments are the very same ones worn by the Hero of Twilight, and if what he told us is true, then it was worn by a Hero who preceded even him. Before he departed from Hyrule, he gave us this garb and asked that we protect it, until the time came that a new Hero would awaken to protect Hyrule in its darkest hour. That time is now, and the mark on your hand proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Hero this kingdom needs is you."

King Daphnes looked at Link sternly. "Link, you are the Hero chosen by the Goddesses. There can be no compromise in this- to deny your duty would mean the death of all of Hyrule. However, the tasks that lie before you as the bearer of the Triforce of Courage are perilous- it is possible that you may be required to lay down your life in the defense of this kingdom. So I must ask, are you willing to accept your duties as the one true Hero of Hyrule?"

Link nodded without a second thought- he'd seen firsthand just how ruthless the enemy was, and there was no chance he would let Zelda fall into their hands again. He would risk everything, if not for an entire kingdom, then at least for her.

"So you accept. Excellent. Now, our first priority is to prevent Den from obtaining the remaining Triforce fragments. One shard is safe here in the sanctuary; the remaining three are guarded by three races that live in Hyrule. Link, you must gather the three shards of the Triforce of Power and bring them back to the castle. Do you understand what you must do?" Link nodded. "As long as we can prevent Den from obtaining any more fragments of the Triforce, we have a chance to stop him. Now Link, put these on." He motioned to the tunic. "They will protect you on your journey."

"I should go," Zelda said. "You probably wouldn't want me to see you changing." Zelda excused herself from the room.

A few minutes later, Link had put on the outfit. He shrugged his shoulders- the gloves and boots fit okay, and the chainmail shirt was surprisingly light, but felt uncomfortable against Link's undershirt. "You're truly the spitting image of the hero of old," Daphnes said. At that moment, Zelda reentered the room, accompanied by Impa. "My Lord, I've returned," she said. She and Zelda then saw Link. "Well, you certainly look like a Hero in that outfit. Here, you'll need these." She held up a metal shield and a sheathed sword with a strap allowing it to be hung across one's back. He took the sword first and unsheathed it; it was identical to the sword he used in his fight against Den. He re-sheathed the sword and hung it from his back. Next, he took the shield; it was a deep blue, emblazoned with the crest of the Royal Family, the eagle in red and the Triforce in gold. He then hung the shield on his back as well.

"This sword and shield are standard issue for all soldiers of Hyrule," Impa said. "They may not look like much, but they should be more than capable of handling anything you come across." She turned to Daphnes. "There's something else I need to give the boy, My Lord. I hope you don't mind if I borrow him for a few minutes."

"Certainly." With that, Impa put a hand on Link's shoulder and guided him out of the sanctuary. Soon enough, she led him back through the hall and outside again. He followed her through the castle grounds, until they came to a wooden structure by the outer wall. "Wait here please." She then stepped inside. A few minutes later, she returned, a beautiful dark brown horse following behind her. The horse stood taller than Link, and almost as tall as Impa. A saddle had been strapped to the horse's back.

"Link, I believe you remember Epona," Impa said. He did- Zelda had shown Epona to him many times in the past, and had even taught him how to ride her, with a little extra help from Impa. "Hyrule is a vast land…" Impa began, before Link could protest, "… and there is little time to spare. If you're to find the pieces of the Triforce of Power before Den, you'll need a mount- take Epona with you… and take good care of her."

Link was just about to climb up onto the horse when a new voice behind him asked, "Link?" He turned, surprised; he saw Zelda there, standing behind him. She looked at him silently for a few moments, before she leaned forward and kissed Link on the cheek. Instantly, she pulled away and punched his arm, hard enough to elicit a small cry of pain from Link. "I was going to wait until you got back before I gave you that… but I figured you'll need the extra luck. Now don't make me have wasted that by getting yourself killed, okay?" she said. He nodded, and then climbed up onto the horse.

It didn't take him long to remember Impa's instructions. He took the reins and with a small spur, the horse was moving. He went slowly at first, carefully guiding Epona through the castle grounds, and then the streets of Castle Town. He picked up speed slowly as he neared the edge of the town; by the time he'd crossed the bridge at its entrance, he was in a full gallop. He was off- charging across the plains surrounding Castle Town, his task laid before him. An entire kingdom depended on him- _him_- to gather the three remaining shards of the Triforce of Power before Den. Now, he was off- off to… to… hmm…

…Wait… where was he going?

"Link." Hearing the King's voice calling out so close nearly caused Link to fall off Epona; he brought the horse to a stop and looked around, but King Daphnes was nowhere in sight. "I'm sorry if I surprised you Link, but there is something I forgot to tell you." The King's voice didn't seem to be coming from any specific direction; in fact, it seemed to be coming directly from Link himself. He thought for a moment, and a sudden realization came to him; he removed his necklace, seeing that it was actually glowing in the darkness. "The necklace you wear is no ordinary necklace. It has a number of enchantments that allow me to speak with you, and also observe what you're doing. I made it to better protect Zelda."

There was a very brief pause before Daphnes continued. "I've known for quite some time that you've had this necklace. And I've also known about your frequent visits to the castle grounds. But that is something we will discuss later. Now listen- as I said, the three remaining shards of the Triforce of Power are held by three of the races that inhabit Hyrule. One of the three races is the Kokiri, beings who live in the forests to the south of here. You should start by retrieving the Triforce fragment there. Once you arrive in the Kokiri village, speak to their leader, Saria; she's bound to know the location of the shard."

* * *

**I know, I know... boring exposition chapter. It won't happen again... I hope.**


End file.
